12/12/2010

New Orleans Foodyssey I: The sandwich

New Orleans is the home of two of the world's great sandwiches. Warning: the following images may make you hungry.

The Po'boy

New Orleans, as the name implies, used to be owned by France. So there's French bread there - which can be split, then stuffed with anything to make a 'po'boy' (or poor boy, poboy, etc). Deep-fried seafood and roast beef are especially popular. Below, an oyster po'boy, 'dressed' (with salad), on Bourbon Street.

A magnificent example, from Liuzza's By The Track - 'barbecue' shrimp, slathered in butter and pepper. You can't see, but the bread is actually hollowed out - the prawns go right down to the end. Mmmmm …

And the 'Ferdi' from Mother's - with a really vicious Bloody Mary. The Ferdi combines baked ham, roast beef and 'debris' - little bits of beef. It's then slathered with gravy and raw white cabbage.

And here's that close up. Not too stingy with the meat, there …

The muffaletta

Invented by Central Grocery (where I ate it), the muffaletta is a deli counter inside an outsize sandwich. Salami, Italian ham, cheese and who knows what, always topped with a chopped olive salad. A quarter is the size of a small sandwich, so best to order a half or, with company, a whole.

Wondering about the scale? Take a look at this. Man, that's one hell of a sandwich.